Stone effect tiles and adhesive

[Pal2023]

Hello to the forum. I am a carpenter and have undertaken tiling in my own house. I completed the bathrooms last year and now am fixing a decorative thin stone effect tile to chimney breast above a stove. The stone has a rough, limestone blue colour finish. I was given a white tile adhesive to fix it by my local store, who I wouldn't consider to be experts. The stone tiles are called Averno by Polish company called Stones. The box reccomends using Stones POWERBETON OR POWERELASTIC E7 for fixing (would these be the same as an ordinary tile adhesive)

The backing is a tile backer board coated with SBR primer.
Is there any alternative ways to fix the stone tiles? The white adhesive is coming out through the joints and dirtying the stone tiles. It takes a long time to clean the adhesive off due to the rough facing on the tiles.

Would Tec 7 or similar be OK to use or is there any other alternative materials that could be left to dry and cleaned off easily?

 

[Ben-gee]

Therein lies one of the many skills a tiler needs to master, work clean!
If you do it properly no adhesive should squeeze through, but a damp sponge used immediately is the best way to clean it off if it does.

 

[Hobnob]

What depth are the tiles?
What notch trowel are you using?

 

[Pal2023]

What depth are the tiles?
What notch trowel are you using?

Tiles are rough face stone effect. Depth varies from 10mm to 30mm deep.

I was using a 13mm square notch (as advised by tile supplier) but have now switched to a 6mm x 10mm notched trowel (it's working out neater).

Since my original post and Ben-gees advice I have made the following changes which have helped...

I have switched to grey adhesve from white adhesive. So the joints and staining aren't as obvious.

The grey adhesive is quick set. It's the only grey adhesive I could get.

I am a mixing the adhesive a lot dryer which means very little leakage through the joints.

I am rubbing any spillage off with a dry brush and then scrubbing with a damp brush when adhesive is nearly set.

I am happy with the progress today. Photo attached.

The top four rows have just been done. Note the damp spots where u was cleaning adhesive.

The middle three rows were put on yesterday.

And the bottom three were done with white adhesive and I hope to clean them with HG Product 11 tile cement grout film remover when the job is done.

(product 12 is probably a better bet but not available in my local store)